Power plants – Motor operated by expansion and/or contraction of a unit of... – Unit of mass is a gas which is heated or cooled in one of a...
Patent
1996-04-26
1998-04-07
Lazarus, Ira S.
Power plants
Motor operated by expansion and/or contraction of a unit of...
Unit of mass is a gas which is heated or cooled in one of a...
60517, F02G 104
Patent
active
057351236
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This application is related to my copending application U.S. Ser. No. 08/635,940, PCT/DE94/01250, entitled "Energy Generating System", filed on Apr. 26, 1996.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The invention relates to an energy generating system, especially for satellites and space stations, based on Stirling engines.
Engines operating according to the Stirling-cycle process have long been known. Just as for Diesel and Otto engines, the operating principle thereof is based on a working gas being compressed at a low temperature and then being expanded at a high temperature. In contrast to the two latter mentioned engines however, the working gas in a Stirling engine is not heated by an internal combustion, but rather the heat is continuously provided to the working gas from outside. For that reason, temperature differences in nearly any desired range can be converted into mechanical work with the Stirling engine.
Originally, the Stirling engine was embodied as a single cylinder engine with two loaded pistons, and later was predominantly used in the so-called V-arrangement in which a displacer was arranged in one cylinder and a piston was arranged in a second cylinder. Thereafter, in more recent times, so-called double-acting Stirling engines have come into use, in which, for example four cylinders operate with a suitable phase shift one after another. Each of the cylinders in the latter mentioned arrangement has only one piston, which simultaneously serves as a displacer for the following piston. Components common to all Stirling engines are the heater, the regenerator, and the cooler, which are arranged between the displacer and the piston in the V-arrangement, and which are arranged respectively between the individual cylinders in the double-acting Stirling engine.
Stirling engines are generally driven by a constantly burning flame, for which the most varied fuels are used. It has also already been sporadically suggested to drive Stirling engines with solar energy, and use these for sea water desalination, for example. In addition to the already mentioned advantage of being able to use any desired temperature interval for the generation of mechanical work, Stirling engines are distinguished by a high efficiency, an advantageous torque characteristic over the range of operating rotational speeds, as well as a vibration-free operation.
Despite these clearly evident advantages, the field of use of Stirling engines is still very limited. Thus, in satellites and space stations, photovoltaic energy generating systems are predominantly used at the present time, even though the energy yield that can be obtained therewith is comparatively small. Especially in future space stations, the energy demands will be so high, that it will be scarcely possible to cover the demand through photovoltaic means.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is the object of the invention to provide an energy generating system based on the Stirling hot air engine, that is suitable both for terrestrial applications, but especially also for use in orbital stations. Further objects of the invention are to overcome the disadvantages discussed above and achieve the advantages discussed below.
The invention achieves these objects by means of an energy generating system using a Stirling engine coupled with an apparatus for absorbing radiant heat. Advantageous further details of the energy generating system according to the invention include the following. Preferably the apparatus for absorbing radiant heat is formed by the heaters of the Stirling engines combined together into a tubular heating heat exchanger that is impinged upon by radiant energy. The individual tubes of the tubular heat exchanger form a swirl-flow generating arrangement, and the heat exchanger is spherically formed and surrounds the Stirling engines in an umbrella-like manner. Alternatively, the heaters of the Stirling engines are connected with disk collectors that surround the Stirling engines in a cone shape. The system can further include a funne
REFERENCES:
patent: 3277743 (1966-10-01), Kell
patent: 4642988 (1987-02-01), Benson
patent: 4677825 (1987-07-01), Fellows
patent: 5404723 (1995-04-01), Parker et al.
Basichas Alfred
Daimler-Benz Aerospace Airbus GmbH
Fasse W. F.
Fasse W. G.
Lazarus Ira S.
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